Fate of several foreign students in medical colleges uncertain

Hundreds of foreign students who had enrolled this year for undergraduate programmes in private medical colleges in India now face an uncertain future due to a “tricky” domestic legislation regarding entrance examination for them.

The NEET eligibility criteria says only Indian nationals or Overseas Citizens of India can take the exam. It does not have any mention of foreign nationals.(HT File Photo)

Hundreds of foreign students who had enrolled this year for undergraduate programmes in private medical colleges in India now face an uncertain future due to a “tricky” domestic legislation regarding entrance examination for them.

Foreign students in India come to pursue MBBS or BDS courses either through an institutional quota system, like in government colleges, or by directly applying to private colleges.

But, due to the recent ruling of the Supreme Court on making the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) mandatory for admission to private and deemed institutes, they are now facing uncertainty as they do not fall under the NEET criteria.

The NEET eligibility criteria says only Indian nationals or Overseas Citizens of India can take the exam. It does not have any mention of foreign nationals.

The colleges have allegedly asked foreign students to leave the campuses by “next week”.

Tilak Silva, father of Shenali, who came from Colombo to pursue BDS at Manipal University, said, “My daughter and other foreign students are suffering now only because there is this tricky NEET procedure.

“First foreigners cannot write NEET exam and now these students are being compared with domestic ones. Where should we go now as we have been asked to leave the campus by October 14. The career of our children has been jeopardised.”

Silva also alleged that after the apex court’s ruling, the Medical Council of India (MCI) and Dental Council of India (DCI) have been “pressurising” colleges to “allow (admission to) only those students who have taken NEET”.

“How can the decision be so blanket. I have already intimated the Sri Lankan High Commission in Delhi and the Foreign Office in Colombo about this situation. We also appeal to the authorities and the Indian Prime Minister to allow some stop-gap arrangements for this 2016-17 batch so that their year is not wasted,” he said.

When contacted DCI President Dr Dibyendu Mazumdar said, “It is the verdict of the Supreme Court, what can we do about it. Colleges have to abide by it.”

The situation seems anomalous given India’s international policy on education and government sources said that they are looking into the matter.